President Bush: You Killed My Son

[yesthattom]

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-PLS&idq=/ff/story/0001/20040916/2013578097.htm

HAMILTON, N.J. (AP) - A woman wearing a T-shirt with the words ``President Bush You Killed My Son’’ and a picture of a soldier killed in Iraq was detained Thursday after she interrupted a campaign speech by first lady Laura Bush.

Police escorted Sue Niederer, of Hopewell, N.J., from a rally at a firehouse after she demanded to know why her son, Army 1st Lt. Seth Dvorin, 24, was killed in Iraq. Dvorin died in February while trying to disarm a bomb.

As shouts of ``Four More Years’’ subsided, Niederer, standing in the middle of a crowd of some 700, continued to shout about the killing of her son. Local police escorted her from the event, handcuffed her and put her in the back of a police van.

Niederer was later charged with defiant trespass and released.

The first lady continued speaking, touting her husband’s record on the economy, health care and the war on terror to those attending the rally in this suburban community of 90,000 people near Trenton.

She made several references to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and said that many in New Jersey, including some in neighborhoods near the firehouse, lost family members that day.

``Too many people here had a loved one that went to work in New York that day,’’ Bush said. ``It’s for our country, it’s for our children, our grandchildren that we do the hard work of confronting terror.’’

Comments

[blue-monday.livejournal.com]

This might be a really dumb question, but what is defiant trespass? And how can you be charged with trespassing at what is, presumably, a public event?

[polydad.livejournal.com]

It's not "technically" public. The GOP rented the hall; they get to say who comes in -- which can include "We'll let in anyone in the world who wants to come, except you, Mrs. Niederer."

I presume "defiant" trespass means marching right in the door immediately after being told "We don't want you here and you're not allowed," but IANAL and I'm guessing.

I'm going to look her up and send flowers, if I can.

best,

Joel

[prettypammie.livejournal.com]

I understand she is grieving, but have to question the behavior. It was her son's choice to serve; anyone who serves knows they may be sent to war and besides exercising the right to vote probably won't have much say in it. Her son might be quite upset with her if he could be here and see her actions. It's probably easier to be angry with the President than to be angry with her son. If she also disagrees with the war in Iraq, well, much easier direction for anger.
Anyway, if she was legally removed, what's so terrible? Should they have let her continue to stand there and disrupt what everyone else present wanted to hear? Although I am curious to know what the perspective of the rest of the audience was.

-Pam

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

Bush is ignoring the toll on our solders that his unjust war is taking. He has refused to attend a single funeral, and has hidden all solder burials/returns (not sure what they're called), threatened to veto attempts to change the fact that Reservists aren't eligible for Vet benefits, etc.

"It was her son's choice to serve" -- the average enlisted person has little choice. For many, the military is the only way out of poverty.

[prettypammie.livejournal.com]

So far, I've never met anyone in the military who felt forced to serve. Too bad her son can't weigh in.
Can you point me to the info on hidden soldier burials, and the issues around reservists and vet benefits? Most of the military folks I am in contact with are active duty.
FYI, Clinton committed us to Kosovo, we still have forces there, and I have talked to at least one who reported suffering and low morale. So I don't think Bush has a monopoly on this sort of thing.

-Pam

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Also, many people I know of who've joined the National Guard did so expecting the tradition of being the home guard, helping after national disasters, etc. -- not going to war overseas.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

(Yes, I know he's in the Army, not the NG, but not everyone who went overseas enlisted expecting to go to war.)